1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communications, and in particular, to a system and method that selects a wireless link in a public wireless communication network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wireless communication devices communicate with each other over a frequency or a range of frequencies. A wireless link is a frequency or a group of frequencies that users communicate over. Similarly, a channel is a frequency or a group of frequencies that users communicate over. In the United States, some of these frequencies are designated by Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to be shared by public users as opposed to being licensed to a specific corporation or institution. A citizen band (CB) radio is one example of a wireless communication device that communicates using these shared public frequencies. Some recommended guidelines for shared public frequencies require that the sender listen to the desired wireless link for ten milliseconds prior to transmission to ensure that the wireless link is currently not in use. Unfortunately, these guidelines do not assist in determining whether the wireless link is the best available or the least used in a group of wireless links.
Recently, the FCC approved a range of frequencies called the Family Radio Service (FRS) for two-way personal communications. These handheld FRS devices allow users to communicate over an agreed upon channel. Each channel relates to a frequency in the FRS range. Unfortunately, these FRS devices have no mechanism for selecting an available channel that is not in use. Users first agree upon a channel, and if that channel is unavailable, the users may have to hunt for another available channel.
Another wireless communication device called scanners are radio receivers that skip across a range of frequencies and allow a user to listen to a specific frequency. In manual mode, the user selects the specific frequency to listen to. In scan mode, the scanner cycles through a group of frequencies and stops at a frequency when a radio signal is detected. Scanners are not designed to find the least used or available frequencies. Instead, these scanners are designed to find frequencies that are in use so users can listen to these frequencies.
Some cordless phones communicate with a base device using one channel. When the line quality on the channel deteriorates, the user can select another channel by pressing a button on the cordless phone. The cordless phone then selects a next channel with the user determining the quality of the channel.
None of the prior devices or systems allows a user to select an optimal wireless link from a group of wireless links where the optimal wireless link is the best available or the least used in the group of wireless links.